Wolf's Essence Chapter 8 - Luke

Chapter 8- Luke

“OW!” Tyler hollered as he rapidly withdrew his hand from Theo's. I watched as Tyler rubbed his palm firmly, and with the information I had gathered earlier that day from Theo's mother I didn’t need to guess why.

“Are- are you okay?” Theo asked as he too pulled his hand back. “That was a pretty good shock. I felt it all the way up my arm.”

“I'm fine,” Tyler hissed softly as he shook his hand in hopes that he could lessen the pain he had felt. “I must have built up some static with these crazy pants of mine. Anyway, Theo, could I possibly borrow my brother for a moment?”

Theo shrugged, “Yeah, sure. No problem. I'll wait here.”

Tyler then turned and gestured for me to follow with a tilt of his head. I reluctantly did, leaving Theo alone at the table. Tyler directed me to the corner of the dining area before he whipped around and whisper-yelled at me, his frustration obvious as he spoke.

“Are you fucking crazy, bringing that thing here?” He hissed as he stepped into my own personal space. “Do you know what he is? And don’t think that I didn’t catch his last name.”

Anger instantly boiled within me, not just because my own brother knew better than to step into his alpha’s personal space, as my wolf side could possibly see it as a challenge. I was more bothered by the fact that he just referred to Theo as a “thing", as if he were some sort of object and not a real living person. Although, I honestly didn't expect anything less from my brother, and knew the rest of my pack and the sorcerers in the town would react similarly. But there was no way in hell that I was going to let anyone talk to me like that, especially not about someone who was mine. I stepped closer to him, and did what I could to push into his own space, reminding him who was in charge.

“I'm not stupid, Tyler. Yes, I know what he is.” I growled. “He's one of them, I know. But it's not that simple, he-”

“Are you kidding me? Did you take a big blow to the head recently? He's one of the forbidden, he should've been put to death the moment he was found. What if he turns his power on the pack and the rest of the sorcerers?”

This time I really did growl, the deep rumble emanated from my chest so loudly that I was afraid Theo could’ve heard it, but I didn’t care. At this moment I was more concerned about what my brother might do. Instead of waiting to see, I pushed on.

“Don't you dare think about harming him. I know what he is, and I can assure you, with great confidence, that he won't turn on us. He doesn't even know what he is, or even that magic or the supernatural are real. He is not his grandfather."

“Bullshit,” Tyler scoffed. “I bet he's just playing you. Waiting for the right moment to attack and kill us all.”

It took everything I had not to grab my brother’s throat. How dare he assume something so horrible about Theo, how dare he threaten my mate like that. But, was Theo my mate? Did he want me like I wanted him? Did the pull of his Source make him just as crazy about me as my wolf was for him? Either way, I wasn't going to let anyone hurt him. I figured it would be a good idea to tell Tyler what was really going on between us.

“Before you go about sentencing Theo to death, I warn you. My wolf caught his scent last night. You know what that means.”

“What?” His eyes widened with shock. “That’s not possible. A shifter has never scented a Sorcerer before. You’re just trying to protect him.”

“As your alpha, and alpha of the Cedar Falls werewolf pack, I swear to you that it is true. Which means, if you even try to harm a hair on his head, you are going against our most sacred law, and you will regret it.” I was now inches from Tyler’s face. I could tell he wanted to continue, but instead he bowed his head and turned it to the side, revealing the soft tissue of his neck, a sign of submission to his alpha. He then took a step back and I grunted with approval. “Good, now, what did you want to talk to me about, before you thought it was a good idea to threaten Theo's life?”

“Y-yes, I'm sorry, I just. . . It goes against everything we were taught while growing up. Dad told us about the boy’s grandfather, and how he craved power and didn't care who he hurt. I just. . . Are you absolutely sure that he isn't lying to you and isn't going to turn on you? If you can swear this to me, then I'll try to let it go.”

I gave him a glare. “I'm certain. My wolf is crazy about him, and therefore, I trust him. Now, what were you going to tell me before all this?”

He hesitated, but gave a nod as he spoke. “I was coming up to tell you that I had some news about tonight's patrol. Earlier today I had sent a few pack members out to patrol Yellowstone Park. Well, Gordon and Miles, I lost contact with them for a few hours, so I figured they were in their wolf forms. But Miles called me about twenty minutes ago. He said that he and Gordon ran into some trouble down by the hot springs close to Old Faithful. He said several men cornered them, but Gordon caused a distraction which allowed Miles to get away. He said. . . He said they were Hunters, Luke. He thinks that they might have killed Gordon.”

My heart dropped like a ball of lead. Hunters. These people were bad news. A Hunter was just as it sounded, except the Hunters I had come to know were people that had been specially trained all their lives to hunt down and kill anything that was supernatural. Whether it was ghosts, ghouls, demons, vampires, you name it, they hunted them all. Including werewolves and sorcerers. They’re also known to spread lies to the public about the creature or person they hunted, in order to scare people and get them on their side. You know all those stories you read about werewolves being bloodthirsty humanoid creatures that shredded people to pieces? It was all made up by Hunters. Sure, us werewolves had a humanoid wolf hybrid like form, but we were forbidden to ever use it and for good reason, as it's difficult to control and probably the reason Hunters used that form in their stories. But, if Hunters were in Yellowstone Park, then it would only be a matter of time before they found their way to our peaceful town, our safe haven.

Even more heart wrenching. They had possibly killed Gordon, one of my dearest and closest friends. A man I had known since I was a little boy, since before I was able to even shift. We had been very close friends growing up, even supported one another during our shifter trials. Gordon, Jeff, and I had all been best friends for years. Gordon, I knew, was a terrific fighter, he even gave me a run for my money, and I was over twice his size in my wolf form. He was one of our best fighters. If the hunters had managed to capture and kill him, that could only mean they had new weapons, enhanced training, or a trick up their sleeve that we had never seen before.

I pondered my brother's words for a moment before speaking. “Thank you for letting me know. However, we need to know where they are heading. I want you to send a group of five to the area, to act as tourists, as they scout the area. Have them keep an eye out for Gordon. Send Miles with them, so he can lead them to the last location that he was with Gordon. I want them there and back within six hours of setting out. Also, we should get a patrol going around the town boundary, I want them in groups of two. The Hunters won't be able to get in if they intend to do us harm, but I'd like to know if there are any nearby. Keep me informed.”

“Yes brother,” Tyler said with a slight bow of his head before he looked toward Theo again. “I. . . I'll let you get back to your date, I guess. But I still don't trust him.”

“You just need to get to know him,” I said. “Which should be easy for you, you have such a cuddly personality.”

He glared at me, obviously not happy with my sarcastic remark. “Maybe later,” he said with another slight bow of his head to me, before he rushed off downstairs. My enhanced hearing I was able to pick up the sound of him dialing on his cell phone as he made the necessary calls.

When I returned to Theo, our food had arrived and he was waiting patiently for me, his food completely untouched. “You didn't have to wait,” I said with a smile as I sat down.

“Eh, I wanted to. It wasn't a big deal.” He said as we both dug into our meals, and they were delicious.

As we ate I remembered something he had said earlier when I picked him up, and I grew rather curious to hear the story. “So, tell me about this prank your parents had tried to play on you earlier.”

He chuckled as he finished a bite of food. “Oh yeah, that. Well, they were acting all suspicious and weird. When I asked them what they were doing they got all serious and told me to sit down. Then they were all “the world isn’t what you think it is, son”.”

I almost laughed at his impression of what I guessed to be his dad. But, I had a feeling that I knew where this was going, so I stayed quiet and listened.

“Then, they were all, “sweetie, those books you read about magic and monstrous creatures, they're all real. Also, you're a wizard, Harry”. God, they actually tried to tell me that monsters like vampires and werewolves were real, and that I had magic powers. I mean come on, every kid wishes they had magical abilities at some point in their life, but to still hold my childhood fantasies over my head when I'm twenty-seven? Anyway, that’s about when you drove up and I left laughing.”

I was sad to hear that Lidia's idea to tell him obviously didn't go as well as she had hoped, and on the other hand I was annoyed that she hadn't really chosen a better time or way to explain it to him.. Along with that I felt as though I had been punched in the gut, because there I was, a werewolf, sitting across from my potential mate and he had referred to my kind as monsters. How was I supposed to tell him what I was after that, and tell him that he was my fated mate, and exactly what that implied?

I didn't know what to say, so I just gave a chuckle and a slight shake of my head. “Heh, yeah that's pretty silly of them. But now I'm curious. Do you not believe in anything supernatural? Such as ghosts and angels and stuff like that?”

He gave a shrug. “I don't know. I like to believe in angels and that my birth mother and father are watching over me. But in truth, not really. As for ghosts, I've had some odd events happen around me before. Such as things falling off shelves, doors slamming closed or opening on their own, but they all usually can be written off to the wind making it happen, or a loose screw on a shelf. So, I find it kind of hard to believe in that kind of stuff.”

“I see,” I said with a nod. “Well, it's not for everybody, I guess. Personally, I have had plenty of events that have led me to believe in ghosts and more. But I'm not going to force it on you. Perhaps in time you might come to believe too.”

He shrugged again. “Maybe, but until then, I'll remain skeptical.”

We eventually finished our dinner and headed for home. Back in the car it was oddly quiet, neither of us really said anything. We did, however, occasionally make eye contact and chuckled when we turned away. By the goddess, he had an amazing smile which seemed to glisten in the light of the full moon. I didn’t want to look away, but wanted to be safe rather than sorry and forced myself to watch the road instead.

Once I pulled up in front of his house I saw him reach for the handle, “uh uh, you stay put,” I said as I gave him a smile before I hopped out of the vehicle. I ran around to his side, and opened the door.

He just chuckled as he hopped out. “You know I'm perfectly capable of opening my own door, right?”

I shrugged as I closed the truck door. “But then what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't hold the door open for my date?”

“You'd be another average man,” he sighed with a smile. “But, you're definitely not average, and I like it.”

“I'm glad you like it,” I said as I stepped closer to him and made eye contact. “Because, I like you.”

He looked down and his cheeks went red, his smile noticeably widened. I took this opportunity to curl my fingers around his chin and gently lift until we locked eyes again. I leaned down slowly, until our lips were inches apart. His scent was so potent that it was hard not to lose myself in it and overpower him right then and there. My wolf wanted out, it wanted to ravage every part of him, to rub my scent all over him to all other shifters that he was mine and only mine. Instead, I took a deep breath, letting it fill me from head to toe. I gently pushed forward, our lips were millimeters from touching. His breath mixed with mine as our foreheads touched, I could hear my pulse as it thumped in my ears, and my body temperature rose at the extreme arousal I felt. I could smell his own lust and I knew that he wanted this as much as I did, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I pushed forward.

He took a step back just before our lips were able to touch. My heart dropped and my wolf cried. I watched as Theo lowered his head again and put a hand on my chest as he spoke. “I'm sorry, Luke. I really like you, and I want this. Really, I do. I just think it's moving a bit too fast.”

I took a step back as well, giving a nod of understanding. “You're right, I apologize. I'm letting myself get carried away. I just find it so difficult to resist you.” I chuckled.

“I know, and I honestly feel the same about you.” He gave me a kind smile, the sincerity noticeable in his kind green eyes. “It’s just, I rushed into my last relationship, and it didn’t exactly end on the best of terms. I just. . . You're a great guy Luke, and I do want to get to know you better. I just can't rush into this. Is that okay with you?”

I don’t know how, but at that moment I could feel his pain. I could feel his heart break as he mentioned his last relationship, and I could feel his hope as he asked me this question. I felt my own heart break for him, and I was unable to control myself. I reached out and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. I wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to let him know that I would never hurt him the way that his last relationship obviously had. I spoke softly. “Of course it’s okay. I don't want to rush you into anything that you aren't comfortable with.”

I felt him relax in my arms, all the tension and worry seemed to evaporate and was replaced by the familiar feeling of tingling pleasure that swelled through my body. I could feel that strange new something awake within me once again. I could feel as it reached out for Theo, could feel that it wanted to become a part of him, to conjoin with him. This was not something that I knew about a wolf's fated mate, and therefore was unsure how to react. All I knew was that whatever this thing inside me was it wanted to be with Theo, and it felt so damn right. We eventually separated and I watched as he made his way inside the house.

Once the door closed, I got in my truck and made my way home to the other side of the lake. At home I kicked off my boots and hurriedly undid the buttons of my shirt, which had been holding on for dear life to conceal my expanding middle, especially after such an amazing dinner. I moved over to my home bar, with no need to turn on a light due to the full moon light which bled in through the window. I poured myself a small glass of Disaronno before I stepped onto the porch and gazed across the lake to Theo's window.

His room was dark, but I could easily tell that he wasn't in there at the moment. Knowing that I wouldn't be seen, I set my glass down on the picnic table I had on my porch. I gave a quick stretch before I ran and dove off the porch. With some concentration my bones morphed and contorted, my clothes became one with my body as thick fur sprouted from my flesh, my face elongated and my teeth sharpened as they grew. The dial on all of my senses was instantly turned up to eleven as within seconds I shifted into my wolf form, before landing on all fours on the soft grass. The sounds of crickets hundreds of feet away met my ears, the fresh smell of the soft grass beneath my paws tickled just slightly, my eyes picked up every surrounding as clear as though it was still sunset. I lifted my head and glanced up at the moon, I felt its light as it washed over me with its loving embrace.

I didn't waste any more time, I charged forward into the trees, my powerful legs propelled me forward faster than any normal human could possibly run. The black fur that covered my body was complete with a streak of gray that started at my chest and down my belly. My dark fur glistened in the caressing moonlight. Within one minute, I was around the lake and slowed my pace to a gentle walk as I neared the house.

I entered the yard, staying fairly close to the treeline as I layed down. I looked up to Theo’s rooms just as the light flicked on. I watched his shadow dance around on the inner walls for several minutes, before the lights eventually turned off. Seconds later Theo approached his window. If I could smile in my wolf form my teeth would be exposed from ear to ear. From what I could tell, he was wearing nothing more than gray pajama pants that looked to be more like sweatpants. But he was shirtless, and I gave a silent thank you to the moon goddess for letting me see him, because he had an amazing body. His torso and arms were muscular, the moonlight accentuated every curve and outline of his gorgeous body and handsome face. My goddess, he was gorgeous. I saw him peer across the lake at my house. At this, much smaller, distance I was able to see the desire on his face, the hope that he would see me.

I layed there, staring up at the young man who caused my heart to race with excitement. Though I couldn't touch him, the strange essence within me awoke and pushed at my chest, as if it were reaching out for him. I found myself wanting the essence within me to mingle with him, I wanted it to become a part of him, wanted it to wrap itself around him and let him know that I was there.

As if by some sort of sixth sense, Theo stood taller as he began to look around the terrain. I watched his beautiful green eyes sparkle in the moonlight as they scanned the lake, the trees, and the yard. Then, he saw me. I expected him to be alarmed at the sight of an oversized black wolf just laying in his yard and staring at him. But instead, he showed curiosity as he stared back. He gave a tilt of his head, which I mimicked. Slowly, he moved to the glass door and opened it. He stepped onto his balcony, never taking his eyes off of me as he stood completely shirtless at the railing. He perched there for several moments before he sat and dangled his feet off the wooden frame. We locked eyes and just stayed staring at each other for what I hoped would be eternity while the crickets sang their nightly songs.

Our peaceful, meditative, moment was ruined by the sound of a man's voice as the glass door to the balcony opened.

“Son? You're up late. Are you okay?” I watched as Theo's father stepped out and Theo turned to face him. With the unwanted distraction I glanced up at the sky and noticed it was much later than I realized. I glanced back at Theo as I stood and backed into the trees, my black and gray fur allowed me to blend well into the shadows.

“I’m fine, dad. You're not gonna believe me, but there is a massive wolf in the yard. Right over there-" I watched as Theo turned and pointed to where I had been laying, but I knew he could no longer see me in the shadows of the trees. I watched him stand as he searched the area again before he turned back to his father. “N-nevermind, I must have fallen asleep out here.”

I watched him as he followed his father back inside. When he glanced back out the window I made sure to push my head out into the moonlight just enough so he could catch one more glimpse of me, to let him know that what he saw was true and not some dream. He gave a quick smile in my direction as I stepped back and faded into the shadows once again.

I turned and made my way back home. Once back on my own property I focused and shifted back into my human form, my clothes fading back into existence. It was no simple task for a shifter to keep from ruining their clothes when they changed, but for someone who has been a werewolf their entire life like myself, morphing my clothes into a shift took much needed practice and concentration. I'll admit, I've had several situations where I had shifted and forgot about my clothes. It's not fun picking up tattered fabrics, or getting tangled in them. But, now, it was a simple extra thought.

I grabbed my glass from the table, and made my way back inside my home. I emptied its contents and set the glass aside for the morning, before I made my way upstairs and got ready for bed. As I climbed under the welcoming covers I pulled an extra pillow up and hugged it tight, imagining that it was Theo’s warm body I was holding close to me instead.

It wasn't weird of me to sit outside his house in my wolf form like that, was it?